Cut-out switch for mine-trolleys



J. RACOSKY.

CUT-OUT swncH FOR MINE TROLLEYS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. 19H. RENEWED MAR. 13, I920. I 1 ,343 ,475, Patented June 15, 1920.

I 3 SH EETS-SHEET I I. RACC-SKY.

CUT-OUT SWITCH FOR MINE TROL!. EY'S. APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1917. RENEWED MAR. 13, 1920.

Patented June 15, 192 0.

Qvwemtoz JOHN RacosKY 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Illlllll'lll J. RAGOSKY.

CUT-OUT SWITCH FOR MINE TROLLEYS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1917. RENEWED MAR. 13, 1920.

1,343,475. Patented June 15, 1920.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

aumwmtoz JOHN RHCOSKY UNITED. STATES JOHN RACOSKY, JEROME, PENNSYLVANIA.

GUT-OUT SVVITCflI-I FOR MINE-TROLLEYS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 15 1920 Application filed April 28, 1917, Serial No. 165,169. Renewed March 13, 1920. Serial No. 365,626.

This invention relates to an improved cutout switch for mine trolleys, whereby the possibility of the electrocution of the miners by accidental contact with the trolley wire will be entirely obviated.

It is another object of my invention to provide a very simply constructed switch for the above purpose, automatically actuated by the trolley wheel, whereby the circuit is closed from the source of current through a section of the trolley wire, and such circuit automatically broken after the trolley wheel passes out of contact with the wire section. I 7

And it is a further object of the invention to provide an automatically actuated cutout switch for mine trolleys whichconsists of relatively few parts of simple formso that the device can be produced at relatively small cost and readily'installed in the mine corridor. 7

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrange.- ment of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion [of a trolley line such as isusedin mines,'in

which my improved switch has been in-.

stalled, one of the switch units being shown in section; V

Fig. 2 is a similar viewafter the sw1tch has been actuated and the supply circuit closed through the section of trolley wire;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the hne 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective vlew of one of thecontact blocks;

Fig. 6 is a similar viewof one of the oscillatable circuit closing members and the actuating rod connectedthereto,

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section showing the latch means for the movable switch element.

My improved switch, in its preferred embodiment, consists of two units which are disposed 1n predetermined spaced relation. Each of these units includes a base block 5 of suitable insulating material, which is suspended by means of the bolt indicatedat 6, from one of the han ers 7 in which the in sulated current conductor 8 is supported closely adjacent to the roof of the line corridor. The under side of the block 5 has each of its ends provided witha central, longitudinal groove or channel, andv the metal contact members 9 and 10 respectively, are'each provided with a relatively narrow web 11 and 12 extending into the respective channels of the base block 5. These webs are rigidly fixed within the channels. by

means of a plurality of transverse screws or bolts indicated at 13. A contact member 9 is provided with a longitudinal extension 1 1 on its inner end, having a beveled face ends of the blocks 5 having openings bored therein to receive the-terminal portions of the wire and being provided with clamping screws 18 for binding engagementwith the wire. The other contact members 10 are likewise connected in a'similar manner to the corresponding members of other switchunits by the trolley wire sections, The ends of the conductor 8 are bared and secured to the contact members 10 by means of the,

binding screws 19.

To the inner end of each of the members 10, a triangular-shaped circuit closing element 20 is oscillatably connected, as indicated at 21, and when the circuit between the switch units is operi,'the inclined face 22 of said element is engaged with the inclined face 16 of the member 10, while theinclined face 23of said element is spaced from the inclined face 15 of the contact member .9. To the inclined face 22 of the element 20 of one switch unit and adjacent respectively, is connected, said levers being 1 fulcrumed upon suitable rods or pins 30 fixed in the blocks 5. The other upwardly projecting arms of the bell crank levers are connected to each other by the rod 31 which consists of a plurality of sections and is movable through bores formed in the blocks 5. The rod sections are connected to each other within the base block by the sleeves 32 of insulating material, and'a clamping device indicated at 33 also connects adjacent sections of the rod 31 to lengthen or shorten the same when it is desired to space the switch units farther apart or dispose the same nearer each other.

Each of the rods 24 and 26 is provided with a flattened-portion havingspaced openings 34 therein; A spring-pressed latch pin 35 is adapted for engagement in said open ings to prevent the casual longitudinal move ment of the rod, said pins, however, yielding under a positive pressure exerted on the rod. This holding pin for the rod 2a is suitably mounted in the contact member'10 of the switch unit, while the holding pin for the rod 26 is mounted in thebase block '5 of'the other switch unit.

From the above description, the operation of the invention will be understood as 'fol lows. Assuming that the mine car is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow, the trolley wheel W riding upon the bottom face of the contact member 9 strikes the base surface of the oscillatable circuit closing element 20 and moves the same from the position seen in Fig. 1 to the position seen in Fig. 2, the inclined face 23 of said element being engaged with the inclined face 15of the contact member 9. In this oscillation of theielement 20, the rod 2 6 is forced upwardly, thereby oscillating the bell crank lever 29, and through the medium of the rod 31 imparting a similar oscillation to the lever 28 ofthe other switch unit. The rod 24 will thus be forced downwardly, oscillating the block 20 of the latter switch unit and engaging its inclined face 23 with the inclined face 15 of the contact member 9 of the latter switch unit, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Thus, the circuit will be closed from the current supply wire 8, through the contact block 10, element 20 and the contact block 9 of one switch unit, through the:

stretch of trolley wire 17 the member 9, element 23 and member 10 of the other switch unit, back to the conductor 8, so that the motor of the car will receive current while the wheel W is in contact with this particue lar stretch of trolley wire. When the wheel, however, strikes the other switch element 20, it will oscillate the same to disengage its inclined face 23 from the inclined face 15 of the contact member 9 and returnsaidelement to the position seen in Fig. '1',-thus reverging the movement of the rod 31 and forcing the rod 26 of the other switch unit downwardly, thereby also disengaging the face 23 0f the'element 20 in thisunit from the face 15 of the contact member 9, thereby breakingthe circuit through the trolley wire section; The element 20 of the next adjacent switch unit in advance will be in a position corresponding to the position of the element 20 shown at the left in'Fig. 2 of the draw ings so that the circuit will be closed through the next adj acent section of trolley'wire 17, themembers 10 and the conductors 8. flThus, throughout the length of the trolleywire, the several sections 17 will be supplied with the current only while the trolley wheel is engaged thereon or with the contact members to which the wire section is connected, and immediately after the trolley wheel passes beyond the switch unit to an adjacent trolley wire section, the section in the rear becomes'dead or, in other words, the circuit to said trolley wire section from the conductor 8 is broken. The spring of the latch pin 35 in each switch unit is su'lliciently strong to retain the circuit closing element in the position to which it has been moved so that the circuit between the switch units will not he accidentally closed by the casual pivotal. movement of said elements.

From the above, it will be seen that I have produced a verysimple and effective automatic cut-out switch for mine trolleys which will eliminate danger to the miners and obviate the possibility of their electrocution or serious injury by aclcan contact with the charged trolley wire. The device consists of relatively few parts which are all of simple'form, and it will, therefore, be appreciated that the invention can be produced and installed in themine corridor at rela tively small cost. The form of the several contact members and the manner of securing the'same to the base block may,of course, be greatly varied, and'the construction and are rangement of the several other elements employed is likewise susceptible of considerable modification. It .will be understood that my improved switch will operate in the manner above set forth when the car is travthe spirit and scope of the invention as a movable circuit closing element normally engaged with the latter contact member of each unit, and operating connections between said elements whereby when one of the elements is engaged and moved by the trolley wheel into circuit closing relation with the first named contact of the switch unit, the circuit closing element of the other switch unit is moved to a like position and the circuit closed through the trolley wire section.

2. An automatic cut-out switch for trolleys including spaced units each consisting of spaced contact members insulated from each other, a trolley wire section connecting the adjacent contact members of the switch units, a current conductor connected to the other contact members of the switch units, an oscillatable circuit closing element mounted upon the latter contact member of each switch unit, and operating connections between said elements, whereby when one of the elements is engaged and moved by the trolley wheel into circuit closing relation with the first named contact of the switch unit, the circuit closing element of the other switch unit is moved to a like position and the circuit closed through the trolley wire section.

3. An automatic cut-out switch for trolleys including spaced units each consisting of spaced contact members insulated from each other, a trolley wire section connecting the adjacent contact members of the switch units, a current conductor connected to the other contact members of the switch units, a movable circuit closing element normally engaged with the latter contact member of each unit, operating connections between said elements whereby when one of the elements is engaged and moved by the trolley wheel into circuit closing relation with the first named contact of the switch unit, the

circuit closing element of the other switchunit is moved to a like position and the circuit closed through the trolley wire section.

4. An automatic cut-out switch for trolleys including spaced units each consisting of spaced contact members insulated from each other, a trolley wire section connecting the adjacent contact members of the switch units, a current conductor connected to the other contact members of the switch units, a movable circuit closing element normally engaged with the latter contact member of each unit, a bell crank lever foreach switch element, means operatively connecting the circuit closing element to one arm of the bell crank lever, and means connecting the other arms of the bell crank levers to each other whereby, when one of the circuit closing elements is engaged by the trolley wheel and moved into circuit closing relation to the first named contact of one switch unit, the circuit closing element of the other switch unit is moved to a like position.

5. An automatic cut-out switch for trolleys including spaced units each consisting of spaced contact members insulated from each other, a trolley wire section connecting the adjacent contact members of the switch units, a current conductor connected to the other contact members of the switch units, a movable circuit closing element normally engaged with the latter contact member of each unit, a bell crank lever for each switch element, means operatively connecting the circuit closing element to one arm of the bell crank lever, means connecting the other arms of the bell crank levers to each other means for engagement with the connections between said elements and the bell crank levers to hold the circuit closing elements in either position against casual movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN RACOSKY.

Witnesses CHARLES HEOKMAN, Mosns THOMAS. 

